Nature's Hand
by MasterC
Chapters
Just one shot
Hello readers. I am very glad to present this, my first ever narrative of length over 2000 words in total as well as being the first of my stories uploaded to fimfiction. I was so captivated by the idea of the CGotG group that I started this story. I appreciate every critique of this work as well as every favourite and thumbs up. I would also like to thank Shadow Weaver for being my first and possibly only pre/proofreader, go read his story too. The speed of updates for this story will not be very fast unfortunately, this is because I am new to the group and am using most of my free time to become up to date with the canon stories. I would also like to thank Troutking for pointing out the several flaws and inconsistancies present in my character development, thank you Troutking. Finally, for the purpose of avoiding any confusion in you my much appreciated readers, the first section of the story is in third person and then switches to first person for the foreseeable future. That was deliberate and not an ineptitude on my part, even if it isn't the greatest idea. I do hope you enjoy.
“We’re here covering the most recent riot in the city of Giza.”
“I said wait a minute Mat! We haven’t gone live yet.”
“Ah hehe, oops. Guess I’m getting a little ahead of myself.”
They were standing in one of the many derelict unit block balconies, below were just streets. Once normal, the streets were now covered in shrapnel and garbage of the past few years. A thin film of dust and sand coated anything and everything not protected from the wrath of possible sandstorms.
“You think? Wait, here we go. Live in 3…2…1…” click
“Cough Today in the once great city of Giza, conflict has broken out again as the government we have this week has been challenged for turning corrupt. We bring you live to not my usual desk at the studio, in the middle of not the studio, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO BLOODY ROCKET LAUNCHERS! I hope you appreciate this viewers, because my salary doesn’t nearly begin to cover this.”
clatter The reporter threw his microphone across the floor of the abandoned unit they had been filming from.
“Mat, chill. This is live, you’ll lose your job.”
“Just switch it off; I don’t have anything more to say.”
“Look, just this once," click, "but you need to be more professional as a field reporter, I thought this is what you wanted.”
“WHAT? Who gave you that idea? I love my anchor job! Look, Monika, just go home, it’s dangerous here; your sister was probably worried sick when she got home from school. There hasn’t even been a single shot fired since the declaration of revolution was sent, that and I could do with my little fix of paradise, okay?”
“I swear that stuff is taking over your life. What's so great about some pixilated ponies with a dash of colour?”
“Ha, hehehe.”
“Wait what? What did I say?”
“Ahh, never mind. Look, I just like that, somewhere, there is a place without war, even if it is make-believe.”
“At least I can understand that. How about we grab a coffee at the station before you get fired, sound good to you?”
“Nah," he declined, "but I just need to get the mic. Go on, I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Monika turned towards the stairwell, camera over her shoulder.
There was a flash of metal in the building across the street as he passed by the window, moving to where the mic had lain to rest.
*BANG*
“Shit.” Monika spun back around, dropping the camera in the process as she ran in the direction of the noise.
“Mat? Matsimela? No! NO! Shit.” She rushed over to the collapsed body of her coworker; he was bleeding profusely from a bullet wound in his chest, the actual wound itself the size of a golf ball.
“Heh, I think I might take you up on that coffee now..." the reporter choked, before he coughed out several small pellets of blood, the droplets of crimson staining his shirt. "What do you think...?”
“Don’t joke about this!" Monika pleaded, tears ready to spill from her eyes.
"I’m getting you out of this alive, got it?!” She cradled her coworker's head onto her chest and held him as tightly as she could. She knew that he would make it through... because if he didn't...
“I hate to see you break promises..." The reporter coughed violently again. His vision started turning darker, and he was feeling drowsier and drowsier by the second.
'Strange... it's like... sleeping, almost....'
"Good... bye...." The reporter closed his eyes as the orbs of sight rolled into the back of his head, an exhalation of held-in breath escaping his mouth for the last time.
"Mat?" Monika started, pulling away from her coworker to see his now cold face. "Mat! MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"
“Matsimela Darwishi, I call you!”
'Is that my name? Yes, I remember!'
“Urgh, stop shouting, who died and made you my boss, any…way…?”
I looked up and saw a woman I estimated to be over 10 meters tall and holding out a great pair of multi-hued wings, but she was not at all like any angel I had ever heard about. Glistening gold coated almost all of her clothes, and a crown atop her head held a disc of bright crimson.
”I am afraid that it was your own foolish death within our last domain that made me your…boss,” The great winged lady said with an almost disdainful, but more piteous voice.
"Back up there, I'm dead? That isn't, I mean...what?" I stuttered in my panic. My head was still feeling groggy.
"All will be explained in time, for now you must come with me." I had already started running.
"You cannot hide in these shadows human! These are not the shadows of light, but of time."
"No bloody way I'm going with a giant like you, I'm outta here!" I called back to the stationary figure.
'There has to be some way out of here, where is here?'
I heard a snapping of fingers.
"You cannot escape from me, mortal." She was now before me once again, or rather I before her.
'If eyes are the window to the soul, she has her blinds down. Man, what a stare.'
"pant, pant, I can't be... dead, pant, can I?"
"I know this may frighten you, but it is something you must accept. I am not your foe." Still with that fierce look, but now with a softer, kinder, even motherly tone.
She was disarming me.
"But, I was just. And then there was a noise...Monika's face."
'Urgh, why are my memories so fuzzy?'
I grasped my head in one hand, tilting it down, trying to get a handle on the situation and think things through at the same time. Then I saw the hole.
"Aahh, what the hell? There's a hole in my chest!"
"Indeed there is, try to remember your death. There you will find the answers you seek."
"SHUT UP! THERE IS A HOLE IN MY CHEST. HOW ARE YOU GONNA EXPLAIN THAT?"
"I cannot and will not comply with both of your requests, so I will answer your question. You were shot, you died, I brought you here. There is no simpler way for me to explain that to you."
"I keep telling you, I am not dead. I was just in an abandoned flat, broadcasting some news."
"Yes, you were. But think, think after that. Do not, however, take your time about it. I have need of you soon and cannot allow a significant delay."
"If it will stop you lying to me, fine. This is what happened." Continuing to grasp the hole, feeling a little self-conscious, I recounted the events I was sure of to the giant woman. "Look, my boss sent me as a field reporter, I am usually a news anchor so this caught me by surprise."
"Do not bore me, and do not waste my time. Recall only from the events of ending your transmission. They are all that matter."
"Fine, um. Really? I'd rather not talk about that."
"It is important for you to know, I already know."
"Ok, uh. I...I turned down Monika," I was overtaken by an uncharacteristic pessimism.
"She just wanted to get a coffee."
'Man, what I jerk. I could have at least done that.'
"The mic, it was over by the window, so I want to get it."
'She was right, I'm gonna lose my job for that.'
"Good, this is what is most important, what you must accept. What do you remember?"
"Then I looked out the window before picking it, wait...I never picked it up. What happened? Argh!" I doubled over, that wound in my chest was throbbing.
Memories flooded like water through the hole in my mental block, caused by the surprising detail with which I remembered events.
I really was dead, I hadn't died fighting, standing up for something, nothing like that at all. I was sniped by some damned stranger, probably mistaken for someone in a political party.
"My husband has sent me with a new life to grant. Be grateful that you have another chance at life, for it is much more than most.” She stooped down onto one knee, held out a hand so perfectly shaped it could have been chiseled from a stone were it not coloured so.
It was then that my reporter's reflex kicked in, it was time to ask some questions of my own. Warily, I stepped forward onto her hand. I tried to hide the smug grin on my face.
She rose to standing level and the darkness surrounding us started to morph and reel, distorted shapes flashed in lighter shades of black, because that can happen.
‘What on earth, or rather off of it, was happening here? Ok, calm, think this through. Use your experience.’
“Um, it appears you have me at a disadvantage. Would you mind telling me who you are, and where this is?”
‘Good, play it like a sir.’
“Even in our last domain of this realm the people have forgotten us sigh. If you are so ignorant as to not have ANY idea you I am, I shall oblige. I am in your terms, Isis the Egyptian Goddess of fertility and magic, among other things.”
'Really? Wow. Here in front of me is a completely mythological figure. Surely there's another explanation?'
“I assure you that I am real, and that I am Isis.. As I said, you are to get a second chance at life. Not this life, and not for your own amusement. But as a servant to our pantheon, and to me.”
“You can hear my thoughts?”
‘Great, she can hear my thoughts. I wasn't prepared for this. Wait. LALALALALALA, don’t think, don’t think.’
“Do not confuse yourself, I may know your thoughts, and I will in your next life also. But I am not invading you, and there is nothing I have not seen before. Since there is nothing you can do, deal with it.”
At that moment a shadow from the reeling darkness around us flashed across her eyes, and a smirk appeared across her as yet emotionless face.
‘Well, that sure was enlightening.’
“Ok, since there is no way that happened by accident, so I won’t enquire. But please, tell me where I’m going if not to the realm of the dead?”
'Good, get back in control of the conversation. Damn it, she heard that. No, I've got to keep going with this.'
“For now we are in the Temporal Plane, not that you know what that mean this is only way in which I may transport a mortal’s spirit to another reality. Though you may not believe which reality.”
“Wait, I think I know this one? Is it…”
”NO GUESSES! This is not a game. That comes later. Ra, you frustrate me.”
'She's treating me like a child. I have to ask something intelligent, grah, she can hear this anyway.'
“Maybe you aren't as dense as the others, what is it you wish to know of your assignment?”
'And again with the motherly voice of disarmament. Why is it so darn relaxing?'
“I am never going to get used to that, urgh. Well, I suppose I want to know, why me?”
“HA, you think there is something special about you, not really. You fit my purposes and that is all you need to know for now, and for awhile. ”
“Aww, come ooon~. There has to be some reason?”
‘Maybe that was a little too whiney. Wait, darn it.’
“You are correct, that is not a way I wish you to speak to me in the future, but I suppose you will need to know this much. But I will tell you some of the important fragments, since you asked so 'nicely'."
'Time to sit back, relax, and enjoy an informative monologue. If I weren't dead, this would probably bore me to death.'
“Now, now. I could just stop you know."
"Eep. Um, hehe, sorry. Please, continue."
"cough My power is limited to the realms in which I am or have been substantially worshiped, and outside of those only the people which believe in me. You are the first soul that has been at least of decent character that I have been able to pull from your reality."
'Ok, so she isn't all powerful. This is good.'
There are other realities in which I have more power, and one of those is where you are going. So don't get any ideas."
'Oh, great.'
"Moving on. Why you are not special is that you are simply the first to hang on death’s doorstep long enough for me to get a grasp, most others, those violent scoundrels, were planning to die and take as many with them as they could. Naught but children have been of a different mindset until you came along. However, if my range had been greater I may have found someone even more worthy. Until you complete a task I have set, you are not exceptional.”
At that point the shadows slowed to a near stop, no longer reeling in strange shapes but merely looking like a night sky under water. There was even one single pinprick of light visible, and we were heading towards it.
“I will guide you for as long as I can my chosen warrior. We are at our destination and near your new form. Welcome to the land of your myths and magic, welcome to the land that holds Equestria.”
“WAIT, WHAT? Aarrgghh!”At this point she threw me into the now nearby speck of light, no longer a pinprick in the darkness but a hole in the world.
I felt so much pain, blinding light all around me.
Never before had my body coursed with such pain.
It felt as if I was changing, into what I could not tell what.
Stretching, but not really seeming to be spreading, like there was now more of me, like I was absorbing this light around me.
The last two things that sped through my mind as I slowly fell into what felt like sleep were:
‘Is this really happening?’ and
‘SCREW YOU ISIS!’
Well, now I'm a tree
‘I’m sorry, is there some problem?’
I opened my eyes, there stretched an arid landscape all around me, as far as the eye could see. Not exactly paradise, but it was what I was used to.
'Um, sorry. No, there doesn't seem to be a problem.' I pondered upon the lack of a problematic situation.
'Were you expecting something different?'
'Well, yeah. I was expecting more green, you know, for the ponies to eat and all.'
'Maybe this is near Dodge Junction, or Appleoosa?'
'But this place, it looks just like home outside of the city. Where are we?'
‘I'm afraid that those closer locations weren't an option, but be grateful I did not set you in the Great Southern Desert. Instead, welcome to the one of the many Zebraconian Isles, the islands virtually on Equestria's doorstep, apart from those too far east or west. This is the only one on which I have any influence, since its isolation long ago, but still the closest place to where I will need you first.’
I thought upon what she said; I knew she heard all my thoughts, which was still annoying. But as she had said, there was nothing I could do about it.
'That show lead me through years of political unrest & turmoil.' I reminisced.
'This is a dream come true, not quite as close as I wanted, but still close.
If this was really, actually and truly real, this meant a good life; all I had to do was get there.’
'Are you done with the daydreaming? Time is still of the essence.'
'Hm? Oh, yeah I guess so. This is going to be great.' I was getting excited, very much excited, even jump for joy excited. I should have paid more attention.
‘It seems you have forgotten your life is no longer your own property, but that is something to deal with at a later point. The first somewhere I need you is visible if you just turn around.’ Isis whispered in my mind.
I attempted to do so but felt my feet anchored to the ground. In fact, I couldn’t even twist my body, or my neck. All I could do was stand, seeing in one direction.
'Nnnnnnng.' I struggled to move again, to no avail.
‘And how do I do that, madam Isis?’ I stated bluntly, which was definitely not the best idea.
‘Why draw in your roots of course, and don’t call me madam. That will be your last warning on the matter.’ She stated disapprovingly.
'Ok, note to self. Do not get on her bad side, what was that first thing she said? Damn, I need to listen more carefully.'
'Sorry, what was that first part? I really would like to know.'
' I said draw in you roots, it is not hard to remember.'
'Yep she is definitely getting annoyed. Wait...'
‘Roots? ROOTS!’ At this point I finally noticed them, as well as my branches, and every leaf, even some much more numb lumps hanging from the twigs. All connected to my very much rigid body. “Oh great voice in my head, WHY AM I A TREE?’
‘Good, you didn’t miss that little tidbit. You may yet prove useful. But I am afraid you are not a tree, not exactly at least.’
‘Please enlighten me.’ If you thought I said that brashly you would be wrong, I can learn from my mistakes every now and again. Instead it was very much a pleading tone, as much as a thought can have a tone.
‘You are an Ent, I trust you at least know what they are?’
'Yay, that makes PERFECT sense.'
‘Yes, Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite series, but still, Ents have arms and legs right? Where are mine?
'They do, Ents most certainly have limbs. Have you ever wondered why they are never found at all? The creatures known as Ents have a much better camouflage than just looking like trees. With your roots in the ground you appear as one of the trees they guard. Which, in your case, is the Sycamore tree.'
'Thanks for the info, but would you mind giving me a little help with this 'task' you set me?’
‘Sigh, just as I have told you. Feel your roots in the earth and pull them from it. If you can't figure out how to do that then I may as well just leave you here. You have just one day in which to attempt.’
'I don't really work well with deadlines.'
'That is not yet my problem, if you put in the effort but do not complete the task I will be lenient and give you further instruction. Now, try your very hardest.'
The tangle of roots feeding into the earth was giving me strength; it felt almost a shame to stop that supply. But I definitely wanted to move much more than eat, so I tried my 'heart'? Well, I tried my sanity out if nothing else. They just were NOT DAMN DRAWING IN.
'Nnnng, GRAAH. Concentrate, you can do this Mat. Maybe I just need to relax, then...nope. I am losing my mind here! sob sob. GRAAH.'
The day drew on and no progress in the 'removing roots from the dirt' department.
By dusk I had learnt several things about my new form, how to draw up my roots was still not one of them. Fun fact, Ents don’t need sleep, at least not regularly. Also, I had bats in my branches, very noisy bats. They were almost invisibly small to my fixed vision, taking off after the slightest hint of what I assumed were bugs.
‘Now, back to your assignment, you must pay more attention to this task. I do wish you would try the obvious things though, they really do work sometimes.’
‘Huh? Oh, the roots.' Nature has always had a distracting effect on me
'Well, what on this world is so obvious that I couldn’t work it out in a whole day!’
‘Do not be impudent; you are still mortal after all. If I were to abandon you, you would be stuck here for Ra knows how long. But, once again, it appears I must assist my slightly larger but still little follower. Now, don’t hit yourself when I tell you this, I don't want any property damage, but try lifting up your leg.’
‘I DON’T HAVE ANY LEGS!’
‘Now don't you yell at me! *sigh*, just try it.’
‘Fine, but this isn’t going to…I hate you so much.’
‘That is no reaction to give the one who gives you assistance, I expect you to behave more appropriately if you are to continue being my representative. For now, have a look at yourself, it may come in useful.'
I shrank as far into my mind as I could before becoming curious. This new form was something I needed to see.
My body had morphed again, this time painlessly. Now I could look up and see I was standing there in the darkness, under a familiar seeming moon, but unfamiliar stars.
I felt almost the same in most ways I could think of, just a little top heavy. My hair was branches, my shoulders had branches, and even my upper arms had branches.
Now that I could have a look at myself I noticed the differences. I mean, the major thing was I was made of wood; since I was pretty much a tree after all, but something I wasn’t expecting was the barky armor covering most of my body.
Sure I was expecting bark, even armour-like bark, but this was actual, fashioned, armour, made of my bark. Chest plate, bracers for my forelegs and upper arms, I got to come here fully decked out.
As for my forearms, boy was that a sight. It was as if there were shields strapped to my arms, but they were oddly shaped seeming to end in a similar fashion to tonfa. To top it all off I even got centurion-style pteruges, if you really don’t know what those are look it up, hanging from what could probably be considered a belt with an ankh on the buckle.
I also do not know how pteruges of bark work but hey, Isis did what she wanted.
“I wonder what my face looks like?” Came a deep and solid voice, reminiscent of a coffin door slamming shut.
“Wait, is that my voice? Cool.”
‘Have fun with your new voice. But turn around; this is something I must have you see.’ I tried to turn as asked to before and I could, basic motor-control is something you really miss.
I turned just as the sun started to rise, those bats that had left at dusk returned from their long night of hunting.
Just behind me was a lake, rimmed with trees in an almost orchard-like setup, I assumed they were of a similar variety to myself, all at equal intervals of several meters along the edge.
"Woah, I really am tall."
I could see over them all, over every single tree. I could see to the city of white bricks in the distance with a pyramid that would dwarf even myself rising from what was most likely its center.
With the sun rising, the lake shimmered with the patters of light in shades of orange, pink, yellow, as well as the bluey colours of the water itself. Awestruck I stared as that orb of light rose from the horizon, bathing me in the light I craved and the glistening patterns slowly receded. Left behind was the clear water, pure, serene, and perfect. The burning ball continued. I stayed captivated, rooted to my position for a different reason then before; and of my free will.
My trance ended as the sun reached the pyramid’s peak, lining up to form a line of symmetry through the sun and along that same structure, the side of which had previously been in shadows was cast into the light of a new day, it too was of white stone; but unlike that of the surrounding rectangular structures it was not clay, not an earthy white.
Instead it was the pure and glistening white of marble, a mountainous structure that looked new, but with an impossible to determine age.
‘That is where you must go, Matsimela.’
"I go, mistress." I answered in a near trance.
'Man that sounds weird out-loud'
With the energy of a new day flowing through my leaves and branches, I trudged towards the city. Each tree I passed seemed to be sleeping. As a human I had never noticed just how these creatures so necessary to life were themselves inexperienced with it. They seemed to dreamily nap in this light that so invigorated myself.
'Oh, that's what they are.' On each tree hung hundreds, even thousands, of figs. So many were there that many lay on the ground, wasted. Many hung upon myself, I continued on my way, experimentally picking one from my branches and putting it in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
'Damn, not needing to eat is gonna be weird. I guess I can still imitate it though' I felt a short rush of energy, then a new fig popped up where the other had been. Exactly the same size as the one before it.
"Aah!" Feeling something grow rapidly out of you is not unpleasant, but definitely new.
'Well I wasn't expecting that, pretty useful too. I remember Monika always loved these things... wait.'
Then I face… palmed? Branched? I couldn’t really tell which it truly was, but I still did it, as well as stopping in my tracks. I had forgotten something important!
‘Wait, Isis. What happened to Monika? She was still in the building when I was killed!’ Urgency and panic tangled my thoughts.
‘Calm yourself; she is both safe for now and no longer of your concern. Focus on these next few tasks I give you and it may lead you to where you may reunite.’
‘Why? She has her sister to think about, she shouldn't leave someone who need her for me.'
‘Listen, your death affected her greatly. She honestly cared for you. My knowledge outside of my realms is limited, but I know your mortal emotions well, even after all these years. She did escape that building alive and unscathed, even while dragging your soulless shell. Now she mourns one who has gone somewhere better, much like most of your race; for they do not understand the realms outside of their own to any extent unless it is revealed to them.’ Isis still seemed to be keeping something from me, but I knew better than to pry for knowledge from her now.
‘So, she cared about me? More than just coworkers? That is good to know, even if it is a little late. Sigh. I suppose there isn’t much else to do about it. Onward to the white city.’
‘It does have a name you know.’
‘And that would be?’ I pried; maybe I didn’t know any better.
‘I can’t do everything for you, find out yourself.’ It was not said bitterly; no malicious tone was heard, well not actually heard, in my mind. That voice of the one who sent me here was just trying to egg me on. It did of course work.
‘Of course you say that.’ Was the only response I gave, or needed to give before I once again started my walk along the bank of the giant lake, trees circling it all the way to the most outward buildings of that white city, a city without walls.
As the sun, only now was I coming to accept that this world’s sun would be that raised each day by Celestia herself, passed the point of midday I approached those outer buildings. I stopped for the third time that day, the second time to think and the second time to observe, but the first time to do both.
'I don't have a line for first contact, damn it. I should have thought of something.'
The good thing was I didn't need to make first contact. But hearing a little girl scream is never a happy thing, not for me at least.
“Father, the trees are moving! Come quickly!” A small zebra foal spotted me from one of the smaller trees; she had a basket filled with figs, until she dropped it.
If you’re wondering how I know the gender, trees have good hearing, apparently.
I just waited for the foal to come back with presumably their father. Have you ever seen a tree stand awkwardly? Well, I haven’t either but that was what was happening.
‘Are we going to do anything about this?’
‘Just wait, you will see in due course.’
‘Oookaay then, wait I shall.’
-More awkward tree standing later-
There was a clatter as if a table had been overturned in the hurry of someone getting up. A slam as a door was swung open with equal urgency, and a very loud gasp as a much larger and most obviously male zebra stared at me after coming around the corner.
“You, you must come with me at once. I must bring you the elders!” It was very strange, there seemed to be a delay to my hearing; as if there was a bad lip-sync going on.
“Sorry, what was your name?” He seemed obviously shaken by my loud, booming voice.
“Forgive my rudeness, I am Azoth. But please, come quickly. I must bring you to the elders and the priestesses." He was also obviously frantic; there was just one thing I needed to know before I followed him.
“Just a moment there, I need to know the name of this place. What is your city called?”
“Why, this is the great city of Gizebra. But please, it is very important that you follow me now.”
‘Still with the bad lip-sync, I would have to ask Isis about that. But really, Gizebra? The pun was just so horrible, not that they could tell. But that meant this was the equivalent of my home city, Giza. I wonder how similar it really is?’
Meeting the Elders
I followed Azoth down the street. He hadn't said a word since I started to follow him.
Most of the buildings seemed in fairly good nick, slowly getting worse and worse, surprisingly, as we journeyed further into the city. His daughter, who I now know by the name Zanea (pronounced Za-ni-ah, not Zane-ah), had stayed behind to continue harvesting that tree for figs.
"Isis, do you know what's going on here?" I whispered, but though they may not have heard what I said, the zebras lining the streets jumped at the mere sound.
'Shhh silly boy. Do not speak aloud when addressing only me. Otherwise they will think of you as stark raving mad.'
"Right, got it." And a baby started crying, great. 'Oops. Right, got it.'
“sigh, just make sure not to do that again. Honestly, you have to show some sense."
'Yeah, I know. Anyway, what is with this place? All these Zebras are just lining the streets. Looking at an oddity I could understand, but they aren't even looking at me. THEY ARE KNEELING BEFORE ME. Why am I such a big deal?' I was descending into that pleading and whiny head-voice that was becoming all too common for me.
'I planned this long ago, you are, to put it lightly, expected.'
'Well, I guess that explains something. Let me guess, you won't tell me because I'm about to find out?'
'Why yes, it is good you realized that sooner rather than later. Do not think this means much for your general intelligence however.'
'You really don't have to keep calling me stupid you know. You get more flies with honey than vinegar as they say.'
'I don't remember ever calling you stupid, less intelligent than myself, and many others perhaps. But by human standards you are not, I merely want you to surpass you're previous limitations. So that you may better carry out my will.'
'How comforting.'
Azoth stopped and turned to face me, he strained his neck and looked up from where he was only a few meters in front of me.
"Great Tree, here is the temple." The poor fellow was trembling, probably at the thought of me responding again.
He turned and pointed at the temple, rather effectively for someone who only has one digit per limb, but the object was very large, and very close. I had been staring down the whole time we had been walking, not wanting to crush anyone dashing across the streets.
Its magnificence was just as great, if not greater, at a close proximity. That same marble pyramid glowed with the brilliance of the early afternoon light, reflecting directly off that side onto me.
More delicious light.
But looking up, up to the top that seemed to be nearly thirty times taller than myself and almost three hundred times the height of most zebras I saw, I saw there was a missing stone on the point, a very large missing stone.
'It doesn't seem like the sort of pyramid to be without a tip. Something must have happened to it.'
Azoth was starting to collapse from anxiety. I decided to oblige him.
I walked precariously up the staircase he had indicated, it is rather difficult using steps built for small equines when your legs are the size of, or rather are tree trunks.
The doorway was barely large enough for me to fit through, however massive it was.
'I think I lost some leaves back there, that was a tight fit'
"Azoth, why are you staying there? Guide me to where I am wanted."
"Oh no, great one. The likes of me may not enter the temple outside of offerings. Please, go on, the priestesses will lead you to the elders."
"Suit yourself."
I continued into the building, a vast hall seeming to take up the whole space inside. Yet there were still doorways lining it, with the one at the very end being the only one with a door.
Within each doorway, and at the end one at each side, stood a female zebra. Each one wearing many gold bands around their legs, necks, tails, even their ears. A single red cloth adorned each of their backs, flowing down to the ground, typical priestess getup.
I only noticed that they had moved by the time I was nearly a third of the way to the great door at the hall's end. They had encircled me but were, like so many of the townspeople outside, bowing. It was only the speed that was intimidating.
"Welcome, you are expected." They spoke as one.
'Woah, that's creepy.'
Then they, moving as they had spoken, turned to the great door. By the way, it is made of smooth gold, no carvings, no visible seam, just a solid block of, given this place's grandeur, solid gold.
"Please, open the door." The priestesses implored.
'Isis, what do I do?'
'As they say. They will not lead you astray.'
'Right then, what do I do to open the door then?'
'What do you think? It's a massive door, push.'
'Oh, right. Off I go then.'
'You've been standing still for a minute, it's about time.'
"Great one, please, is something the matter?"
"No, no. Let's get this door open."
I stepped forward and those around me parted to make way. I walked straight up to the door and tried to crack my knuckles in preparation, the motion was carried out but I suppose that wood doesn’t hold air pockets to be able to make the sound. Then, slightly disappointed, I pushed, it was much higher than the entrance way and my hands reached only half of the way up it as I pushed. It did not budge.
"Nnng." I tried pushing with my shoulder and heard a slight screech. I decided that there was only one course of action to get this door open.
'Matsimela, don't try that!'
I had turned and walked half way back to the entrance, the priestess/ guards were getting tense, obviously thinking that I was going to leave. Then I turned.
"CHAAARRRGGE!" I ran, as fast as I could was really only a fraction of what comparatively I could as a human, at the door.
You would think slamming into a solid metal door would hurt. It didn't hurt me. I think my shoulder nearly snapped off, and many of my branches bent to near that point as well, but I felt no unpleasantness.
CRASH
The doors split apart as I rammed into it, I probably even left a dent.
'Never do that again stupid child, your impatience nearly cost you a limb! If you just pushed for a little while longer the door would have given way.'
'Yeah, yeah. But these elders seemed to be a little urgent with wanting to see me, Azoth was pretty persistent for a frightened farmer. Woah...'
I looked about the room I had crashed into.
It was a dark room, lit only by a single tiny window high above and a single flame on the furthest wall. In the center stood four zebras, two male and two female. They stood in a semicircle around a small tree supporting a stone orb, which was also surrounded by a full circle of indecipherable images, their faces shrouded by worn hooded cloaks of red and a grey that may have once been black. The only things that otherwise adorned them were single gold bands around each of their right fore-hooves.
These were the elders, backlit by the single flame at the room's end, the only things apart from solid walls that basked in that fiery glow.
But that orb, supported by that young, small and most likely dead tree. It basked in the true light of the sun, through the window high up in the room. It looked as if the missing block had once been where that 'window' now is, with the sun almost directly overhead light shone down upon said tree.
"Welcome to our hall one of young mind and ancient body." The room echoed with the united voices of the elders, pitches melding into a single voice that would have sent shivers down my spine if I had one.
Their heads turned to look at the priestesses behind me.
"Leave us, return to your posts. None may disturb us."
Sheer wisdom and control emanated throughout the room itself as they spoke the words, still with the ever so slight disconnection between the words I heard and the protruding mouths which I saw.
'Ask me of that later, this is of great importance.'
'Urgh, fine. But you better...'
'Shhh, pay attention'
The door that I had used all of my strength as well as a decent amount of momentum was shut behind me with a whirr of machinery. The two sides still met, but bulged in the centre of my earlier impact.
"Turn and face us, for there is much to tell and little time."
I felt a pull on my mind, if I had wanted to turn away it would probably have been impossible.
"We know of your predicament, of your coming from another world, of the one that sent you even. Events have been set in motion that you can not yet comprehend, but for now we have a task for you."
"Hold on, I don't understa..." They didn't flinch from my voice at all, even though I was trying to make it sound more menacing.
"Is that not what we just told you?"
'Isis, what is going on? How do these Zebra know so much.'
'Simply let them tell you, their story is not yet complete.'
"Yes." I answered in as childish and begrudging tone I could manage.
"I have been told that you have more to say, just get on with it."
"Good, good, he has started to accept the Goddess."
"I am still here you know."
"We are quite aware of your presence, but let us now begin the tale."
They started humming a tune, a soothing tune. Something familiar, but I had never heard it before. Their voices seemed to cease being voices, and the music played in my head.
A light began to shine around the small tree, the circle around it with hieroglyphs. They were what told the story.
Long ago, this island was created as a haven for believers. We were separated from our kin by great distance, and powerful magic.
The land was plentiful, and the great forests were tended by several of their own. This one was many, and they were the Sycamores. These most bountiful of all the trees walked between the three great forests. They gave their fruit for us to eat, and tended all trees as they did their own kin.
In the north they tended the Mangroves, which gave us our water. They took that water and grew our many crops, the lesser plants that were needed not only for more food but for tools and shelter. The Central forest was made of their old, and their young. A nursery and a place for those too weak for work to sit and compile a history.
Far to the west was the forest of wood. Here the trees grew fast and with strong wood. It was a graveyard for these majestic and tall creatures. Once of a great age, only one believer in ten generations would see one leave for this place.
To see the many dead trees was a sad sight, a forest of death and each husk aged millennia upon millennia but never seeming to rot. In honour of them, even though they would not allow us to build it without them, we constructed a great temple upon the place where the concealing stone, a grand gem of gleaming but transparent amber, had been placed and had it set as the point of our construction.
As time passed we believers lost most of our faith, and took for granted the paradise in which we lived. Our assisters grew weaker with each generation as our faith waned further, we did not see them as they travelled in greater and greater numbers, younger and younger ages, to their graveyard in the west.
Finally, the last of their old ones, the last who knew of better times, came to us and pleaded. On that day the elders were formed.
We teach each generation of the past, and are replaced each generation with the wisest and most learned four. Upon the death of the last Ent to walk these lands in the memory of a hundred generations we were given one final task, to prepare and to wait.
Out of his trunk was fashioned a young tree, which held a stone that in turn held a second gem granted by our Goddess.
Those other Ents that remained changed themselves so that we would forever have their help. They took on the properties of their still brethren from the northern forest and stood round our lake and staring forever into its depths and at what was there.
Our preparation was to weave our magic into the young tree, and we have long done so. What we were to wait for was the return of the Ents. No longer needed to help us with our daily lives, the new Ents were to serve our Goddess, their Goddess. The first of these new Ents would be of another world entirely, and is to be given the second gem along with the tree carved from its ancestors.
The strange story ended, the pictures in my mind stopped, and both the lights and sounds coming from those around me ceased.
“You hear our ancient prophecy, and are one with it. Draw forth the fashioned sapling and your first task shall be told unto you.” The Zebra Elders once again seemed to issue an undeniable command, and that command was, as before, what I had intended to do anyway.
I reached forward towards the tiny tree, the whole trunk not much longer than the area that my two hands took up while grasping it. The three small branches and stone held within them could be fit easily within merely the palm of my wooden appendage.
Holding the trunk with both my hands I readied to ease it from the small patch of earth surrounded by the hieroglyphic mural in turn surrounded by the simple marble block floor. I released a miniscule fraction of my apparent strength into withdrawing it from where it stood.
…Nothing happened.
I tried again, this time with double the effort as before.
…It stood ever in place.
Now I was angry. This damn tiny tree wasn’t going to hold me back, not when I actually had decent upper body strength for the first time in my…existence.
With as much force as I could muster from the ever-awkward position of bending down to a low object while standing, I yanked it free. Well… half way free.
Before me stood no longer a simple pedestal for a stone, but the beginnings of a magnificent and massive wooden sword.
The stone was now a pommel, the trunk now a sufficiently sized grip with the roots acting as a very small cross-guard. Continuing down from the tree, which only made up the hilt, solid wood made a blade that would be difficult to describe if I didn’t know something to liken it to almost perfectly. But let us just get it out of the ground first, shall we? I exerted myself once again to pull it all of the way out.
Yes, it was just as I had thought. It had a blade that could be described exactly in only three words, five if you aren’t quite as deep in nerd culture as me. Those words were; The…Buster…Sword. Single edge, the point off to the opposite side, how else could it be described?
My goddess given gift was a weapon. A magic, wooden Buster Sword, probably even tougher than my own body.
“This…is…awesome.” I stated in my state of awe, showing my appreciation to all of existence for this amazing gift.
“We are glad that it is to your liking, but we have a personal favor to ask of you. This is separate from the task you must complete for The Goddess”
“Umm, sure?”
‘Is this alright Isis, I mean, shouldn’t they just give me your task and send me on my way?’
’Yes, it is fine. They will not ask anything that they have not earned in their loyalty.’
“We thank you kindly chosen one. We ask only to suggest a name for your sword.”
“Oh, ok then. What is the suggestion?”
“The name of the Ent from whom the wood was taken. We find that one that would give both their life and body to her cause is worthy of being immortalized into the weapon of our people’s mortal savior.”
“Actually, that does sound like a good idea. What was his name?”
“His name, known now and passed down only by we elders, not even told in the stories of our people. His name was Thi, it means…”
“I know what it means.” I thought of the significance of that name. I knew it meant giving in the ancient language of my country. Whoever it was that bore that name truly lived up to it, even after death.
Then I thought of a really awesome thing to say, right in the style of the situation.
“This was part of his body, and so shall continue by his name. This blade is now named Thi, and though I may never meet him he will be a trusted ally in my mission.”
‘*Squee* This is so awesome.’
“Oh, what is my mission by the way?”
‘Drat, that sounded so much better in my head.’
“Strange creatures foreign to our lands came to this city. They stole many precious things from us, including both the gems given to us by the Goddess, and many of our more able bodied. The priestesses made the folly of protecting us instead of the gems. Please, retrieve both your own second gift and the pinnacle of our temple. The longer the pinnacle is missing from its place, the more likely it is that more invaders will come here.”
“Well then, I accept and will be on my way.”
“Thank you, we expected nothing less of the chosen hero. But tonight is not the time for such things.”
‘Tonight?’ I looked towards that hole in the ‘ceiling’ and saw that indeed the sun had set, though I would have considered it more mid-evening than truly night.
“Instead, let us celebrate your coming in the city hexagon.”
“No, sorry. Parties are not my scene.”
“As you wish, instead please stay here and rest.” The elders made a shrill whistle that would have put any small annoying bird to shame and the Great & Gargantuan Golden Gate (do you like the name I came up with?) Opened once more.
“Have our guest be given a mound of earth in which to root this night. For tomorrow he journeys to the west.”
“Yes elders, please enjoy yourselves in the hexagon.” One of the younger priestesses guarding the G&3G answered them, and then proceeded to run off to one of the side rooms of the first hall.
I waited for a few minutes and the poor girl, I don’t know whether filly or mare applies to zebras, came out again, dragging a massive sack over five times her size. The poor thing looked exhausted as she trudged across the floor, so I decided to lend my assistance.
“Excuse me, but would you mind if I took that for you?”
In surprise her grip on the sack loosened and the piece she had been holding it from dropped from her mouth.
“What! No! I mean, no, please. I cannot leave such a trivial task to someone as important as you. Please, allow me to take this into the elder hall for you.”
“I’m afraid I insist.“ As she reached back to grab the sack in her mouth I reached down and scooped up both the priestess and the sack at once using just my left hand, the one not holding Thi. It felt no heavier than lifting say a single light-novel book from when I was human.
“Aaah, no! Please, you should not be doing this!”
“Ha, hahaha. No trouble at all. I think it would be quite within my duty to help anyone I can.” I walked back into the main room
Since she was so flustered I decided to set her down. As well as asking her a question, something that always sounds awesome as long as the asker is much larger than the subject.
“What is your name little one?”
“Wha…ah…um. My, my name is Syzya.” Then she curtsied once before dashing out of the room.
‘I really must be terrifying.’
The sack she had carried was what I assumed contained my nice supply of earth. So I lifted it up once again, this time by the wrong end.
Dirt spilled everywhere, and continued to spill. Over the hieroglyphs, and over the entire central area of the room. There was considerably more earth in the bag then could reasonably be held if physics was being taken into the equation.
Finally what appeared to be the last of the granules fell from where they had been held, and what was left was one large, but most certainly not large enough, sack and one precarious mound of soil covering a large area.
I felt a dull nibbling in my branches, my bats seemed to have substituted hunting for foraging, eating my figs instead of bugs.
Laying both Thi and the sack upon the floor where I stood I quickly ascended the mound. It partially collapsed, so I stumbled a little, but then it seemed to be stable. I put my roots into the earth and morphed to my regular tree form, and it felt as if that was some fine quality dirt. My night long ‘sleep’ cycle began. It felt more like sudden unconsciousness than a drift into sleep.
Tally ho, across the river
’Awaken, Matsimela.’
“Urgh, just five more minutes Mum.”
“Pardon great one?”
‘Damn, this is embarrassing.’
‘The Elders wait, and your mission calls.’
“We are not your mother. Please awaken.”
“Right. Aheh, sorry about that.”
‘What was that about?’ I asked ‘My Goddess’.
’I was merely calling you from your sleep, for I have not yet had evidence to suggest your capability to do so yourself. Do not treat me as a personal alarm clock in the future however.’
I, this time much more easily, lifted my legs and withdrew my roots from the pile of earth beneath me. My form changed before the eyes of the elders, but they didn’t seem bothered by it.
“Good, now we must send you on your way. Head out of the city and up from the lake. When the stream meets the river you must cross. Head west, away from the river once it is crossed, and you will be headed towards the graveyard forest. We believe the creatures have made hold between there and here for those we have sent have not returned. We wish you luck on your quest.”
“Mmhmm, got it. Headed out now, then.”
I started towards the door, there were several of the priestesses lining the hall past it, and the one closest to the G&3G was the one I had met last night. She was shrinking back slightly further than the others.
“Wait, do not forget your sword!”
“Oops.”
I awkwardly walked back to my sword and picked it up, along with the sack.
“Do you mind if I take this?”
“We do not, for it was intended for you anyway. Though what you would need it for we do not…”
I had started putting my sword into the sack, turns out that wasn’t the best idea.
Thi pierced the sack as I dropped it in and fell all the way through the hole, the sack instantly disappeared from I assumed all of existence.
“If you wish we have another one. Poking a hole in a sack of holding will not be beneficial to your cause.” Even though I was their apparent savior, these elders were still being quite condescending.
“Um, thanks. That would be great. Sorry about that.”
’Why are you so hopeless? Just carry your sword.
‘Ok, ok. Yeesh.’
I picked up Thi and stood awkwardly, the second time in as many days, for the new sack of holding to be brought for me.
In mere moments the replacement, this one completely empty, was brought forth by Syzya. She dropped it at my feet, as I had finely become comfortable with calling them, and scurried back to the ranks of her fellows.
“Thank-you elders. And, uh, once again…sorry for that inconvenience. However, I do have one request to make, if it would be all right?”
“Whatever we may give, we give willingly.”
“Well, not so much give, as lend. I would like to employ one of the priestesses as a temporary guide for me. Would that be a possibility?”
The elders formed a circle and many mutterings came from within, but they must have been speaking completely inaudibly to any others as even I couldn’t make out the words.
They returned to the earlier formation and addressed my request.
“We think that this may be dangerous, but any one of us would gladly lay ourselves down for the goal this task represents. But we will not choose for you, this must be something you decide.”
“I already have one in mind.” I gave a slight smirk, “Syzya, could you come forward please?”
A small and surprised squeak gave away her location, but she did come forward so I didn’t need to go get her.
“M…m…me? You want me to accompany you?”
“Why yes, I do.”
“I am afraid we must speak here, Syzya is inexperienced and very young. Your choice may prove ill-founded.”
“I know what I’m doing here, and she was the only one whose name I knew.”
“Very well. But please take good care of her, for she is no match for those who you shall face.”
“Don’t you worry; I mean, what could go wrong?”
‘Whelp, now I know she’ll at least get injured, why did I have to say that?’
“Why would he…what good am I to a…oooh, I don’t feel so good…” Syzya proceeded to faint.
“Is she going to be okay?”
“Do not worry, this often happens to her if she gets too excited. If you let her be endangered it may happen again.”
“Right then, could you give me some supplies for her? I don’t need them but she will.”
“Yes, we have planned for such a possibility. There is all you need within the sack, including a method with which to carry your companion until she awakens. Please, go ahead and set up the carrier.”
I reached down and picked up the sack, holding Thi with three of my fingers I used the remaining one and my thumb to hold the sack’s rim as I reached in with my other hand.
I couldn’t feel anything until my arm was in to the shoulder. When it was I could feel a sort of general mush, nothing in particular seemed to have shape.
‘So, I need something to carry her…that feels like a cloth.’ As soon as I started thinking of the purpose an item seemed to form from the mush. I grabbed the ‘probably cloth’ and pulled it from the massive depths of the bag. It was a hammock, an actual hammock.
“I assume you want me to tie this to some of my branches?”
“We do.”
“Right, let’s see how this goes.”
To get a grasp of what I’m doing, think about trying to tie a ribbon in your hair. But make that hair completely rigid and jutting out in a random jumble as well as having to tie the ribbon to two of those rigid parts at the correct length to make it sufficiently taut, but not too taut to be uncomfortable…WITH ONE HAND. I wasn’t very good at it.
‘Isis, this is starting to get embarrassing. Can you help at all?’
’You were the one who insisted upon choosing the flighty one. It is your problem to solve. That is it would be if I didn’t need you to get moving soon. Get the bats to do it for you.’
“What!?” I quickly realized my mistake as the priestesses all flinched, not the elders though.
’You are speaking aloud again.’
‘I know, I know. But what did you say I could do with the bats?’
’Ah, yes. Putting your human logic aside for a moment once again, just try and ask them to do it.’
Having learnt that Isis could be ‘trusted’ since my attempt to uproot myself yesterday, I did as she had told me.
‘Here it goes then. Bats! Wait, woah. My head voice has gone all weird.’
‘Continue with it.’
‘Um, right. Got it. Bats, tie up the hammock?’
As soon as my ‘command’ had been issued the bats awoke from their sleep. They lazily glided down and landed on the ropes I was holding and flew up just as lazily in several short arcs around two well-distanced branches. They then proceeded to fly very fast and in a strange pattern. What resulted was a bowline knot. How bats can do that I shall never know, or ask. But I suppose I kind of made them do it, so I was happy.
My hand still hung in the air as I looked in awe at what the bats had done, then my arms fell down in awe when I realized I couldn’t be looking at it with my own eyes. Then rose once again in a sign of victory as I made the realization…I’m a little bit psychic.
…
I thought about how very embarrassing what I just did must have been, but I now had a hammock tied by bats so I didn’t care.
I reached down and scooped up the still unconscious Syzya and lay her in the hammock along with the sack. I could barely feel them there and there seemed to be no strain on the material I had placed them on.
“Have I forgotten anything?”
“We do not think so, please continue on. Explain the situation to Syzya when she wakes up, her spells have never lasted for more than half an hour.”
The Zebras parted around me and a path was formed towards the exit, so I started my journey to retrieve the stones.
…
We were approaching the river now, having left the city several hours before. It led in two directions, one heading to the lake and the other heading down to the islands southern coast.
Syzya had awoken along the journey and had been conscious again for just long enough for me to tell her where we were and why we were there before fainting again.
Walking towards the large body of slow-moving fresh water I saw movement from far past the other opposite bank. As quickly as it had moved all but the water was still once again.
I had Thi held in my right hand and resting upon my right shoulder. It had taken some time to slide it there between the branches but felt as if it could be lifted out easily once the need arose.
Upon reaching the water’s edge I stared intently at the river, the water level wouldn’t even go up to knee level if I was correct, then took one step into it.
Cool and refreshing, I had not noticed my thirst before but my roots drew in as much water as my body could hold. That was quite a lot to absorb within seconds of them breaching the surface.
“Urgh, good, it must have been a dream. Big sis will kill me if I’m late to prayer again, aaaahhwwwn .” Syzya shifted position in my branches, it felt as if she was…getting off the. Oh no.
“What! Aaaah!” sploosh”Pffft, pleh, help! I can’t swim!”
“Hehe hahaha, bwahahaa.” I scooped up the flailing zebra quickly and held her up to my face. “You silly thing, can’t you remember what I told you?”
“Eeep, I…I…I’m so sorry.” She shrunk down and hid her face from me, behind her fore-hooves.
“Don’t be like that, this must be very hard on you. I also didn’t know you had a sister.”
“Whaah, um.” A strange expression flashed across her face. “I… don’t anymore. She was taken when we were attacked by the creatures.”
“You poor thing, but I’m sure we will find her. We are heading to meet these creatures anyway.”
“I…suppose so.” Her eyes peeked out from above her hooves and she even started to smile. “Thank-you, I didn’t think someone so important could be so friendly. Let’s get going!”
“Don’t mention it, but I’ll still need your help getting to the western forest.”
“Right!” I held my hand flat, up against the hammock. Syzya hopped back into place and lay down.
I started moving once again, wading through the waters and then climbing back up to the other bank in a single step. Now that we were across the river things would be getting dangerous.
In the distance I saw another figure move, and another.
“Aroooooo!” A sound I had heard before came from where they were. The howl of a wolf, or a dog. Then it came together in my mind; the slaves and the gems could only mean one thing.
‘Shit, Diamond Dogs!’